I suppose I don’t need the haircut. The gold hoops.
Black boots laced high beneath strong, toned thighs.
And maybe I don’t need the room white. Stripped of life.
Accents of beiges from floor to ceiling like coffee stains.
Pour over, americano. One pumpkin spice.
Perhaps I can forgo an evolution, neglect the transformation.
Aren’t I enough? Could I explore new parts of myself
without changing my persona?
Could I paint a happy future without reinventing the main character?
Just shift my age a bit. Add a dash of confidence.
Deepen the smile lines and invite new experiences.
Here in the now, I’m sure there’s a way to grow, to cross off goals,
without stripping myself to bare bones and donning the unfamiliar.
The unnatural. The not “me”.
It’s a softer path, one that requires attention and the strength to turn inward.
To turn off the screen. Introspection and perseverance to the soul, to one’s core identity.
To the life you dream to lead.
~ September 21
Words and photo © 2023 SamanthaBurgett
Written on September 21, hence the title, ha.
My Book: “Unraveling: Diary of a Healing Soul”
3 Comments
Nicole Smith
September 29, 2023 at 1:41 pmIt’s hard to put down the mask and just be. It can be easier to pretend to be the things you thought you’d be.
Michele Lee
October 1, 2023 at 9:14 pmAn absolute pleasure to revisit this piece, surrounded by the quiet Oregon trees. 🍂 Wish I could sit with the poet and talk about this multi-layered poem. Gorgeous!
Bridgette
October 17, 2023 at 12:36 amAs I’ve aged these exact thoughts have swirled around me. I’ve tried hard to return over and over to some quiet place inside that feels like me. I’ve grown in confidence more and more which has allowed me the space to shed off those things that never fit me and be the silly, all-in, always-amazed-at-everything, youthful heart I’ve always been. It’s freeing when we can do that.